


Push me to the edge

by blueeyesmakemecry (Blueeyesmakemecry)



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Concussions, F/M, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt Mac, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mac!whump, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Non-Graphic Violence, Protective Jack, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Content, Torture, Whump, Whumptober 2020, but we knew that already, murdoc is a sociopath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:16:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27128443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueeyesmakemecry/pseuds/blueeyesmakemecry
Summary: Murdoc has always been obsessed with Macgyver. A little too obsessed, probably. So when he breaks into Mac's house and abducts him, along with his team, it's up to Mac to get his friends out of Murdoc's crosshairs.“They will each have to do two tasks to earn their release. Once they finish that, you will allow me to fuck you however I please, then I will release them.”
Relationships: Angus MacGyver/Murdoc (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Samantha Cage/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Wilt Bozer/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Threats of rape/non-con
> 
> The only thing this pandemic has been good for is giving me more time to write. And I just can't resist some good Mac whump. Hope you enjoy!

Mac opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room. He tried to sit up, but found his wrists cuffed to the arms of a chair. His head ached and he could feel a bruise forming on his cheek.

When he glanced further at the cuffs, his heart sank when he saw each wrist had duct tape covering the cuffs. Whoever had taken him obviously knew enough about him to take extra precautions.

Mac heard the doorknob turn and he quickly shut his eyes, dropping his head into a position that he hoped made him look unconscious. He slowed his breathing and tried to keep it steady as someone approached the chair.

“Go ahead and open those pretty blue eyes, Angus. You’re not fooling anyone,” a familiar voice said.

Mac felt his blood run cold. Murdoc.

“What do you want?” he growled, glaring at the other man.

“Ah ah ah, where are your manners, young Angus?” Murdoc drawled, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. “It’s lovely to see you, and I have been very well, thank you. Much better now that I’m here with you, with nothing but uninterrupted time to spend together.”

“My team will find me,” Mac spat, yanking on the cuffs even though he knew it was futile.

“That will be difficult to do,” Murdoc said, an irritatingly calm smile never leaving his face, “considering I have them here too.”

Mac stilled. He couldn’t tell if Murdoc was bluffing.

“Oh you don’t believe me? See here. They’re all nice and secure in separate rooms. If you don’t do what I want, they’ll be the ones to pay the price.”

Murdoc picked up a tablet and turned it toward Mac. Four squares filled the screen, each one showing a tied up teammate -- Jack, Riley, Bozer and Cage. Matty wasn’t there, and Mac hoped she had managed to avoid Murdoc. His eyes zeroed in on Jack. He appeared to be unconscious, his head lolling onto his chest. His hands were restrained behind the chair he sat in, and his legs were duct taped to the base of the chair. Mac couldn’t see any injuries; overall, Jack looked unharmed. Cage had a bloody nose and a split lip, but both Riley and Bozer appeared unharmed as well.

“Leave them out of this,” he growled, knowing even as he spoke that his reaction would only please Murdoc.

“You really do need to upgrade your security,” Murdoc said, continuing as though Mac had not spoken. “A toddler could break into your home. Truth be told, I don’t know why you even still live there. Every assassin and sociopath knows that’s your house. It’s easy as pie to walk in and hurt your pretty face.”

“What do you want from me?” Mac asked flatly.

“Same thing I’ve always wanted, Angus. To kill you. To drag it out, make it as unbearable as possible. And, while I have you here...I’ve always yearned to know what that beautiful, lithe body feels like under those clothes. I’d hate to waste an opportunity and kill you without finding out how you feel around me.”

Mac’s eyes widened. Whatever Murdoc’s interest in him was, he never thought it extended to sexual attraction. He assumed Murdoc solely had a psychopathic desire to kill him because Mac had thwarted and captured him during his first attempt to kill him and his team. And in all their encounters since then, Murdoc had never shown interest in doing anything aside from torturing him.

Murdoc stepped closer to Mac, who shrunk back into the chair. When Murdoc pressed his palm to Mac’s cheek, Mac turned his head away.

“Oh oh oh, don’t pull away from me now, Angus.”

Murdoc backhanded Mac so hard his head bounced off the wall behind him. Mac groaned as his head started throbbing. Murdoc grabbed his chin, forcing Mac to look at him. Murdoc was slightly blurry in front of him and Mac blinked slowly, trying to focus his eyes.

“Now that’s better. I want you to keep those pretty blue eyes open and focused on me when I’m here. Got it?”

“Fuck you,” Mac spat, closing his eyes just to spite Murdoc. But that backfired when Murdoc drove his fist into Mac’s stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Murdoc grabbed Mac’s hair, forcing him upright as he hit him again.

“Open. Your. Eyes,” Murdoc growled, punching Mac with every word.

Mac did as he asked, and Murdoc smiled.

“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Mac glared at Murdoc, but stayed silent.

“We’re going to play a little game to make things more fun,” Murdoc said. “You want to get your friends home safely, right?”

Mac nodded cautiously, unsure where Murdoc was heading.

“They will each have to do two tasks to earn their release. Once they finish that, you will allow me to fuck you however I please, then I will release them.”

Mac sucked in a breath at Murdoc’s second sentence. He wanted to rape Mac four times in exchange for his friend’s safety. As terrifying as the thought was, Mac knew he couldn’t refuse. Murdoc’s obsession was with him, not his friends. They didn’t deserve to be caught up in this. And if there was a way Mac could get them out, he would do it. No matter how awful.

“You promise to let them go?”

“Scouts honor,” Murdoc quipped.

Mac was silent for a moment.

“OK,” he said quietly.

“What was that?” Murdoc asked sweetly, leaning closer to Mac. “Couldn’t quite hear you there.”

“OK, I’ll do it,” Mac said, barely raising his voice. But it seemed to please Murdoc.

“This is going to be so much fun!” he exclaimed. “I get to play with you first, of course. But once I’ve had my fun, we can start the game.”

Before Mac could react, Murdoc punched him in the face, and the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m going to mark you. Make sure everyone knows you’re my property.”

When Mac woke again, he was bound by his wrists, dangling from a hook on the ceiling.

His feet barely touched the floor and his shoulders had already begun to ache. Mac couldn’t tell how long he’d been out. The room around him was windowless, the only light coming from a small fluorescent light that flickered irritatingly above him. It wasn’t long before the door opened and Murdoc sauntered in.

“Ah Angus, I’m glad to see you’re awake.”

“Rot in hell, Murdoc,” Mac growled, kicking out at Murdoc roughly. But the man easily dodged his efforts and grabbed Mac’s leg, throwing him off balance and forcing his shoulders to bear his entire weight.

Mac scrambled to get his feet back under him, a whimper escaping his throat as the chains wrenched his shoulders nearly out of their sockets.

Just as Mac regained his footing, Murdoc punched him hard in the stomach. Then his chest, his face and back to his stomach. He grabbed Mac by the throat, squeezing until Mac’s airway was restricted and he was left wheezing and gasping for a breath he could not take.

Mac tried to calm himself, knowing his oxygen would last longer if he did. He knew Murdoc wouldn’t kill him. Not yet, at least. Everything was too simple. He hadn’t had his fun yet. That, at least, comforted Mac. He had a chance to get his friends home safe before Murdoc killed him.

When Murdoc finally released Mac’s neck, he started coughing, sucking in as much air as he could. But before he could recover, Murdoc twisted his fingers in Mac’s hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up into Murdoc’s face.

“Just think of all the things I could do to you with only my hands,” he whispered, his face close enough to Mac’s that he could smell the stale coffee on his breath.

Mac spat at him, and Murdoc immediately slapped Mac, sending him reeling backward.

“I was going to save this until later, but since you insist on being insolent, now seems like a much better time,” Murdoc said, stepping away from Mac and walking over to a table in the corner of the room. It looked like the table housed Murdoc’s torture collection: several knives, pliers, a hammer, a coiled up whip and something that looked to be a stun gun. Murdoc picked up a small knife, spinning it a few times in his fingers before turning back to Mac.

“I’m going to mark you,” Murdoc said. “Make sure everyone knows you’re my property.”

Mac sucked in a quick breath. He had not been expecting that. Torture with knives, yes. Murdoc carving his name onto Mac’s body...definitely not.

“But where to put it,” Murdoc mused, circling Mac. He ran his hand down Mac’s back, his fingers lightly dipping under the hem of his shirt just above his jeans. Mac shivered at the touch. “Your back is such a beautiful, open canvas. But you won’t be able to see it, and I would hate for you to not be reminded of me at all times. Your inner arm would be nice, but then it would be so easy to hide from the world. I want everyone to know you are mine.”

Murdoc uncuffed Mac’s wrists, holding them tightly together and dragging Mac back over to the chair. Mac struggled, trying to throw his elbow back into Murdoc’s stomach, but before he was able to, Murdoc jerked him into the wall, bashing his head into the concrete.

Mac yelped and stumbled, giving Murdoc a chance to press him into the chair. He roughly snapped the cuffs back around Mac’s wrist, then once he was secured, Murdoc grabbed a roll of duct tape and wrapped it around his elbows and the arm of the chair, so he was unable to move his arms.

Mac could feel blood dripping down his face from a cut he must have gotten when Murdoc threw him into the wall. Before Murdoc picked up the knife, he ran his finger along the cut on Mac’s forehead, then down his cheek, smearing the blood. Unable to move away, Mac just glared at him.

Mac tried to keep quiet, unwilling to give Murdoc the satisfaction of hearing him scream. But the cuts Murdoc was making on his arm were deep and painful. They bled heavily, and even this early, Mac could tell they would scar badly.

When Mac glanced down at his arm, unable to resist, he could faintly see a M-U-R crudely scratched into his skin. The amount of blood seeping from his arm made his head spin, and he closed his eyes to try to relieve the nausea.

“Ah ah ah, keep your eyes open,” Murdoc scolded. Mac ignored him until he felt the sharp edge of the knife sitting right under his eye. He opened them immediately, making Murdoc smile.

“Good boy.”

When Murdoc pressed the knife in especially deep as he carved the D, a whimper escaped Mac’s mouth. Murdoc stilled, then the feeling of the knife in his arm disappeared, only to be replaced moments later with his fingers pressing hard onto the cuts.

Mac screamed at the burning pain that shot through his arm, momentarily blinding him. Once Murdoc finished carving his name onto Mac’s arm, he didn’t bother cleaning anything up.

He left the wounds bloody and raw and ignored the blood that covered virtually the entire right side of Mac’s body. Mac refused to look at his arm. He felt sick enough knowing Murdoc had branded him with his name. Seeing it would only engrain it more vividly in his mind.

Instead, he closed his eyes and tipped his head back, trying to sleep. He willed himself to lose consciousness, for something to push him to a place where he couldn’t feel the burning pain in his arm.

Just as he started to drift off, loud music blasted through the room, startling Mac awake. The music made his head throb, something Mac knew was a sign he likely had a concussion. He’d had enough experience with them to recognize the symptoms. And now that the pain in his arm was dulling, it was easier to identify it.

Even when the music abruptly shut off, Mac could still hear it ringing in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the pain to go away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First chapter from Jack's POV...more to come later.

Jack seethed as he paced around the small room Murdoc had locked him in. He didn’t know where anyone but Mac was, or if Murdoc had abducted anyone but him and his partner.

All he knew is he’d woken up in this room with a splitting headache, which was only made worse when he looked up and saw Mac slumped unconscious in a chair on the screen in front of him. Jack jumped up.

“Mac,” he gasped, pressing his hand to the screen.

His partner had a shadow of a bruise forming on his cheek and a small trickle of blood on his forehead, but looked unharmed other than that. With nothing to do but stare at the screen, Jack watched his unconscious partner.

He sighed in relief when he saw Mac’s eyelids begin to flutter open. He was clearly disoriented, and it took a few seconds for his eyes to focus on the room around him. Then his eyes snapped to what Jack guessed was the door and he slipped them closed again, his entire body relaxing as he did.

“Go ahead and open those pretty blue eyes, Angus. You’re not fooling anyone,” Murdoc drawled as he walked into the room.

Jack felt anger rush through his body at the sight of the man. He wished Mac had let him shoot him; then none of this would be happening. Mac would be home, safe, and not in the hands of a sociopath who was obsessed with him. Jack wasn’t paying much attention to Mac and Murdoc’s conversation, but his ears perked up when he heard Mac say his team would find him.

“That will be difficult to do considering I have them here too,” Murdoc said.

Jack’s heart sank. So the others were here as well. He saw Mac’s eyes widen, fear quickly filling them.

“Oh you don’t believe me? See here. They’re all nice and secure in separate rooms. If you don’t do what I want, they’ll be the ones to pay the price.”

Jack could barely see the tablet Murdoc was showing Mac, but he did see himself in the upper corner, slumped in a chair in what looked to be the same room he was in now. The footage must be old, used to scare Mac into cooperating. Riley, Bozer and Cage looked relatively unharmed, from what he could see. Not much visible blood, no oddly angled limbs.

Jack’s eyes snapped back to Mac as he heard him ask, “what do you want from me?”

“Same thing I’ve always wanted, Angus,” Murdoc drawled. “To kill you. To drag it out, make it as unbearable as possible. And, while I have you here...I’ve always yearned to know what that beautiful, lithe body feels like under those clothes. I’d hate to waste an opportunity and kill you without finding out how you feel around me.”

Jack felt fury flash through his body at Murdoc’s words.

“You sick, twisted son of a bitch,” Jack hollered, kicking the wall and instantly regretting it as his toes began throbbing.

The pain in his foot distracted Jack until he heard the crack that only came with a strong backhand to the face. Jack looked back at the TV just in time to see Mac’s head bounce off the wall behind him. Mac groaned and tried to pull away from Murdoc as the older man grabbed his chin, forcing Mac to look at him.

“Now that’s better. I want you to keep those pretty blue eyes open and focused on me when I’m here. Got it?”

Jack watched, horrified, as Mac squeezed his eyes shut again. Dammit Mac. This was not the time to be antagonizing Murdoc.

Murdoc clearly had the same thought, and he drove his fist into Mac’s stomach, making him double over in pain. Jack turned away. He couldn’t watch.

“We’re going to play a little game, just to make things more fun,” Murdoc said. “You want to get your friends home safely, right?”

Jack let his eyes flicker back to the screen. He didn’t like the sound of that. Nothing Murdoc considered “fun” would be anything but torture for Mac. Mac nodded cautiously, and Jack could see his mind spinning as he worked to figure out what Murdoc meant.

“They will each have to do three tasks to earn their release,” Murdoc said. “Once they finish that, you will allow me to fuck you however I please, then I will release them.”

“Oh FUCK NO,” Jack bellowed.

It was all he could do to stop himself from punching the wall in anger. The only thing that stopped him was knowing broken knuckles could be the difference between getting Mac out safely and them all dying here. Jack knew Mac would sacrifice himself for the rest of them, probably without even thinking twice.

Sure enough, Jack groaned as Mac asked: “You promise to let them go?”

“No, no, no, kid. Don’t do it,” Jack begged the screen. Mac looked scared, but determined.

“Scouts honor,” Murdoc said. Mac was silent for a moment, and Jack held his breath, hoping the kid would come to his senses and refuse Murdoc’s offer.

“OK,” Mac said, so softly Jack almost didn’t hear it.

“What was that?” Murdoc asked, leaning closer to Mac. “Couldn’t quite hear you there.”

“OK, I’ll do it,” Mac said, barely raising his voice.

“This is going to be so much fun!” Murdoc exclaimed. “I get to play with you first, of course. But once I’ve had my fun, we can start the game.”

When Murdoc punched Mac in the face, Jack couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped his mouth. His head flew back, hitting the wall again, and lolled onto his shoulder. His nose was bleeding freely, and he appeared to have a split lip. Jack wished he could check his head. Both hits had appeared hard enough to cause a concussion, and he knew if Mac was concussed, things would get worse way faster than expected.

Too many head injuries had left the kid easily disoriented after being hit, and Mac needed a clear head to get away from Murdoc. Jack heard someone fumbling with the key in the lock and he scrambled behind where the door would open, hoping he could surprise Murdoc and overtake him. He lunged at Murdoc as soon as he walked through the door, but Murdoc had clearly expected it. He jabbed a stun gun into Jack’s stomach, sending a shock through his body, one strong enough to knock him to the ground.

“Ah ah ah,” Murdoc tsked. “Don’t make me shock you again. I hope you enjoyed the show. Isn’t the TV such a nice touch? Then I don’t have to worry about the two of you in the same room, plotting together. And I would just hate for your presence to give Angus any comfort.”

“You son of a bitch,” Jack growled, lunging at Murdoc.

He didn’t even make it a foot before Murdoc shocked him again and kicked him back.

“Don’t make me punish Angus for your bad behavior,” Murdoc warned, and Jack stilled immediately. Murdoc smiled. “I figured that would work. Now, what do you of my little game? I’m creating a nice list of tasks but can’t decide on the balance between pain and humiliation. His cheeks look so nice when they’re flushed, but I just can’t resist when he screams and whimpers.”

“Torture me, do it to me instead,” Jack said, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. “Mac hasn’t done anything to you. I can make it good for you.”

Murdoc laughed.

“Oh, Jack. I don’t want you. I want him. But I have to say, I’m really looking forward to seeing your reaction to the tasks I choose.”


	4. Chapter 4

Mac was beginning to lose track of time. Murdoc came at sporadic times to poke at Mac’s wounds and knock him around a bit. Twice, he’d brought in food. He was unwilling to unlock Mac’s cuffs, so he hand-fed him a few pieces of toast and poured water into his mouth. It wasn’t enough to sustain Mac, so he felt himself drifting in and out of awareness, all too conscious of his parched throat and empty stomach.

Whenever he got too close to sleep, Murdoc would crank the music up again, seemingly louder each time. He added a strobe light as well, which he flipped on sporadically.

The first time Murdoc turned the light on, he’d come to stand in the doorway and watch. Mac had stared at him warily, unsure why he was hovering by the door and not moving into the room. But it became clear once Murdoc turned the blinding strobe on. Mac moaned and squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head the best he could into his shoulder.

“I could help with that,” Murdoc offered, suddenly too close to Mac. He twirled a knife between his fingers. “This may be sharp enough to put someone’s eye out.”

He feinted toward Mac’s face and cackled as Mac violently flinched away.

“Don’t worry. I won’t touch those dreamy eyes of yours, Angus. Not until I can see the life flicker out of them.”

Then he left, leaving the strobe light flickering above Mac.

The fourth time Murdoc turned the strobe light on, Mac couldn’t take it any longer. He let out a small sob. The light made him nauseous and it felt like his brain was beating along with each flash. He was having difficulty keeping his thoughts straight.

Murdoc appeared to be walking toward him, but all his movements were slowed down, so much that Mac couldn’t tell if he was imagining it.

“Turn it off, please!” Mac cried, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He wanted to see Jack and the rest of his family. Jack was an expert by now at making Mac feel better during his recovery from a concussion. He’d put a cool, wet washcloth on his forehead and make sure he was staying hydrated and in a dark room. He’d keep him entertained in the dark or sit with him and listen to a podcast or book on tape. Jack was terrible at sitting still and staying quiet, but when he was taking care of Mac, it never seemed to be a problem.

“Jack,” Mac whimpered. “Jack!”

“That’s right, little baby,” Murdoc cooed, his voice sickly sweet. “Call out for daddy. It doesn’t matter, no one will save you.”

The strobe light turned off, but Mac could still see the blinking lights flashing behind his eyelids.

When they faded, Mac cracked his eyes open, squinting in the sudden darkness. When his eyes adjusted, he saw Murdoc was inches away from his face, far too close for Mac’s liking.

Murdoc was smoking, something that struck Mac as odd. He didn’t think he’d ever seen the man with a cigarette before. As Mac eyed him warily, Murdoc blew the smoke into his face. Mac coughed, turning his face into his shoulder to avoid the smell.

“Hello, Angus,” he said. “It’s so good to be up close and personal with you again.”

Murdoc smirked and pressed the cigarette butt to Mac’s arm, holding it until the smell of burning flesh wafted into the air. Mac sucked in a sharp breath, gritting his teeth to try to hold back any moans of pain. But burns had always been his least favorite injury.

The smell made him feel sick and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to not throw up. He tried to jerk away from Murdoc, but he didn’t have enough slack to move.

“Want me to stop?” Murdoc asked, seemingly relishing the pain he was inflicting on Mac. “Beg for it.”

Mac glared at Murdoc. He wanted to think he wouldn’t beg. Not now. Not ever. But with his likely concussion, sleep deprivation and the white hot, searing pain that came with each burn, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to last.

Murdoc alternated taking a drag of the cigarette and pressing the butt to Mac’s body. On his arms, his hands, his chest, his thighs. Although Mac couldn’t hold back the tears that streamed down his face with each burn, he managed to keep quiet.

But when Murdoc pushed the smoldering butt on the sensitive skin behind his ear, Mac couldn’t hold back a yelp of pain. He shuddered at the cruel smile that appeared on Murdoc’s face. Murdoc lifted the butt, then pushed it into Mac’s skin just centimeters away from the other burn. He held it there for several seconds, then slowly dragged it down his neck.

Mac screamed at the seemingly never ending burning and he struggled fruitlessly in the chair, desperate to get away from the pain. His vision clouded and he couldn’t do anything but sob, even as Murdoc lifted the butt away from his skin.

“That’s more like it,” Murdoc said, inhaling deeply. “I wondered what I would have to do to get you to scream.”

By the time the cigarette burned itself out, Mac had eight crescent-shaped gashes on his palms from clenching his hands in tight fists. Murdoc threw it to the ground and ground it under his heel.

“Vile things,” he said, spitting on Mac. “Truly only good for one purpose.”

He turned on the strobe light before he walked toward the door, leaving Mac hysterically sobbing. He turned to the side to throw up, but his restraints limited his movement and some of it ended up on his arm and pants.

“Jack, where are you?” Mac sobbed, letting his chin rest on his chest.

He was just so tired, and everything hurt so bad. His emotions seemed heightened, and he knew it was because of the concussion, but that knowledge didn’t do anything to help him. Murdoc suddenly appeared next to him. Mac hadn’t realized the other man was still in the room.

“Oh Angus, oh stupid, stupid Angus,” Murdoc cooed, grabbing Mac’s cheeks with both hands and forcing him to look at him. “Your darling Jack isn’t coming. He’s gone.”

“No, no, no he wouldn’t leave me,” Mac said, his eyes widening as Murdoc’s words sunk in.

“You wore him out. He was sick of you coming crying to him every time you got hurt, sick of taking care of you. I gave him the choice: stay here with you, or leave you alone with me to do whatever I wanted. Guess which he chose?”

“N-n-no,” Mac stuttered, his voice cracking. Jack wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t.

“All you did was disappoint him,” Murdoc said.

He smiled wider when he saw the tears streaming down Mac’s face and heard the short, sobbing breaths. He let go of Mac’s cheeks, pushing him away roughly.

“See? This is exactly why he left. You’re pathetic.”

Mac could barely breathe through his sobs. He knew all he was doing was proving Murdoc’s point. He was pathetic. It was amazing Jack had even stuck around for this long. He was weak, useless. He couldn’t even protect himself.

* * *

Several rooms away, Jack was huddled in the corner, hands pressed over his ears to block out the sound of Mac’s screams. He was close enough to his partner that he could hear his screams and sobs in real-time, then a second later through the TV.

There was no way to turn it off and no way to turn the volume down. Jack knew. He had checked every inch of it, desperate to at least turn the sound off so he didn’t have to hear Mac’s screams, sobs and soft whimpers.

“Jack, where are you?” Mac whimpered through his sobs, fear permeating his tone.

Jack hated it. Mac sounded so young and scared; Jack hadn’t heard him plead like that in years, not since the nightmares he had after Cairo. Murdoc suddenly spoke, making Jack jump. He’d been so focused on Mac, he hadn’t even noticed Murdoc hadn’t left.

“Oh Angus, oh stupid, stupid Angus.” He grabbed Mac’s cheeks and forced him to look at him. “Your darling Jack isn’t coming. He’s gone.”

Jack felt his heart stutter at those words. No. He jumped up and bolted over to the TV.

“No, Mac, no, don’t believe him,” Jack begged, tears starting to stream down his own cheeks.

“No, no, no he wouldn’t leave me,” Mac said.

“You wore him out. He was sick of you coming crying to him every time you got hurt, sick of taking care of you. I gave him the choice: stay here with you, or leave you alone with me to do whatever I wanted. Guess which he chose?”

Jack swore.

“Mac! Mac!” he hollered, trying to amplify his voice in the hopes that Mac could hear him and would know Murdoc was lying.

“N-n-no,” Mac stuttered. “All you did was disappoint him. See? This is exactly why he left. You’re pathetic.”

Jack could see the moment Mac let himself believe what Murdoc was saying. His shoulders dropped and his face crumpled as he began sobbing harder than before. Jack got up and banged on the door to his cell, yelling for Murdoc.

“Let me out you son of a bitch,” he hollered. “I’ll do anything, just please, please let me see him.”

He yelled and pounded on the door until he heard the lock click, then he jumped back.

“My, my, Jack, why are you putting up such a fuss in here? Is it not enough that I let you see and hear your darling Angus on the TV?” Murdoc said, strolling in like he hadn’t just spent an hour torturing Jack’s partner. “You want to push my kindness so you can be with him and comfort him, undoing all the work I just did to break him?” “

Murdoc, stop,” Jack begged. “Hurt me instead, I’ll do anything you want. Anything.”

“Oh your turn will come, Jack. Don’t worry about that. But I’m having so much fun playing with little Angus. He’s so...responsive.”

Jack growled, launching himself at Murdoc. But he felt a jolt of electricity shoot through his body and the next thing he knew, everything went dark.

* * *

When Jack woke up again, he was in a different room. It took him a few moments to realize where he was, then he jumped to his feet, ignoring the jolt of pain that shot through his body as he did.

“Mac!” Jack cried, rushing over to his partner. It looked like Murdoc had finally let Mac sleep. His head lolled to the side, resting partially on his shoulder. It looked uncomfortable, and Jack knew Mac would wake up with an awful crick in his neck. Just what he needed, more pain.

“Jack?” Mac mumbled, shifting slightly in his sleep. Jack scrambled to untie Mac, ripping the tape off his arms and legs. It looked like Murdoc had already taken the cuffs off. He pulled Mac into his arms, trying not to jostle him too much and cause more pain.

“I’m here, Mac. I’m here. I would never leave you.”

“Jack?” Mac mumbled again, this time his eyes cracking open, enough so Jack could see a sliver of blue peeking through. 

"I’ve got you, kid,” Jack sighed.

He cradled the back of Mac’s head with one hand, the other wrapping gently around his back, pulling him in as close as he dared to, unsure of the extent of Mac’s injuries. He rested his cheek against the top of Mac’s head, soft blonde hair sticking to his sweaty skin as he did. Mac leaned into the touch. He turned to look up at Jack, but groaned at the sudden movement.

“But...Murdoc said, Murdoc said you left. He said you left me.” Mac sounded confused, like he wasn’t sure if what he was seeing was real.

Jack intertwined their fingers and squeezed.

“I didn’t leave, hoss. I’ll never leave you. You go kaboom, I go kaboom, remember?”

Mac cracked a small smile and snuggled into Jack.

“Hurts,” he said softly.

“I know, kid,” Jack said. “I know this isn’t the best time, but do you have any ideas on getting out of here in that big brain of yours?”

Mac shook his head, but groaned when the movement sent pain flashing through his head.

“I haven’t--I haven’t had much time to think about it,” Mac said. “Murdoc has kept me tied up tight or unconscious this whole time. How long have we been here?”

“Three days,” Jack sighed.

“How are the others?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen them. All I saw was the same quick glance you did when Murdoc showed you us on the tablet.”

Mac paled.

“You’ve been watching?”

“Didn’t have a choice, hoss. Murdoc forced us to watch. Well, forced me to. I don’t know about the others.”

“Oh they watched. And they’ll be watching the rest of the game too,” Murdoc said from behind them, making both men jump.

Jack turned slightly so he was shielding Mac with his body, and Murdoc laughed.

“It’s cute how you think you can protect him from me,” he said.

He walked over to them and grabbed Mac under his armpits, dragging him away from Jack. Mac tried to grab onto Jack’s T-shirt, anything to not be separated from his partner, but he couldn’t get a tight enough grip.

“Murdoc--” Jack started, but Murdoc pulled out a gun, pressing it to Mac’s forehead.

“I would stay right where you are, or boy scout here will get a bullet in his brain.”

Jack raised his hands slowly, backing away from Murdoc.

“Very good,” Murdoc smiled. “Comfort time is over, boys,” Murdoc said.

And with that he smacked Mac on the head with the gun, stunning him enough that Murdoc could easily manhandle him back into restraints.


	5. Chapter 5

“Jack....Jack,” Mac mumbled as his head began to clear.

“I’m here, hoss. Still here,” Jack called.

It sounded like he was far away, and when Mac cracked his eyes open, he saw his partner was tied to a chair across the room. Mac was back on his tiptoes, wrists tied above him to a hook hanging from the ceiling. The stretch made his body ache and he whimpered as he shifted his weight, putting more pressure on his shoulders.

“Are-are you OK?”

“I’m OK, kid. I’m more worried about you.”

“I-I’m, I’m fine,” Mac said.

It was a lie, but he didn’t want Jack to worry any more than he already was. Mac could barely concentrate and every time he opened his eyes, the room spun in front of him. Mac felt bile rise in his throat. He couldn’t hold it back and he vomited all over the ground and his front. He let out a small sob, squeezing his eyes shut again to try to stabilize his world.

“Oh how disgusting,” Murdoc said, sounding like he was right in front of Mac.

Mac opened his eyes to see Murdoc feet away, crinkling his nose at the vomit.

“Hold it in next time or you’ll pay for it. We need to start on our game. Who first? I’ll even let you choose. No need to thank me, I know how great I am.” Mac gritted his teeth.

As much as he wanted Jack to be by his side again, he needed to get Riley out. She and Bozer weren’t equipped to handle torture like the rest of them were.

“Riley,” he said.

“Wonderful. I’ll go get her.”

Before leaving, Murdoc stuffed a rag in Jack’s mouth and pressed a strip of duct tape over his lips.

“Can’t have you two conspiring while I’m fetching Riley.”

Murdoc was only gone for several minutes, so he must have been holding her and the others close to Mac’s room. Riley looked terrified as Murdoc dragged her in, her wrists and ankles bound. Her eyes widened and she gasped when she took in the blood matted in Mac’s hair and the crude letters gauged into his arm. It didn’t look like she’d noticed Jack was also in the room.

Murdoc made short work of cutting the ropes off Riley. Mac watched with half-lidded eyes, struggling to keep them open. Grabbing a syringe from his pocket, Murdoc jabbed it into Mac’s neck.

“I want you to be wide awake for this,” he whispered into his ear.

As soon as Murdoc pushed the plunger, Mac felt his heart begin to race. It was too much; he couldn’t breathe. He forced himself to look at Riley, to time his breaths with hers. His heart rate didn't decrease -- there’s no way it could have with the adrenaline shot Murdoc gave him -- but his breathing slowed and the panic slowly ebbed away.

Once Mac’s breathing was under control, he became far too aware of every scrape, bruise and gash on his skin. The adrenaline now coursing through his body made him sensitive to every movement, and he had to hold back a whimper. The only good thing was it slightly lessened the effects of his concussion.

“Mac, are you OK?” Riley asked, her voice small.

“I’m OK,” Mac said, trying to smile to reassure Riley.

He felt far from fine, but Riley would be far less likely to go along with hurting him to save herself if she knew how bad he was hurting.

“Time to play, Miss Davis,” Murdoc said, the smile growing across his face. He leaned close to Riley, clutching her shoulder when she tried to pull away. He whispered something in her ear, and she paled.

“No, no I’m not doing that,” she stammered. “No, you can’t make me. I’m not hurting him.”

“Do it, Riley. It’s fine,” Mac said quietly. “He’ll let you go if you do.”

“Mac-” Riley started, but Mac interrupted her.

“Please, Riley. Please.”

Mac squeezed his eyes shut, frustrated by the tears falling down his cheeks. He couldn’t stop them. He didn’t know what Murdoc had planned, but he knew it was likely to be painful, humiliating or both.

“Your tools are on the table, m’lady,” Murdoc sang.

He seemed to be practically giddy with excitement. It made Mac feel sick. He sat behind the table, propping his head up with his elbows, a smile on his face. When Riley approached the table, Mac squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to know what she had. He didn’t want to give himself time to overthink it.

“I’m so sorry, Mac,” Riley whispered, her voice thick with tears.

Mac felt cool metal against his skin, then his entire body seemed to spasm. He screamed. He felt trapped in his body, his back arching, unable to move as the electricity spread through his body. But as quick as it came, it ended. Mac sagged down in the chains, collapsing the best he could. His chest heaved with frantic, deep breaths.

His shaking arms were pulled taut, holding all his weight. He let out a small whimper as he shifted. He could hear Jack’s muffled yells across the room. Riley cupped his cheeks in her hands, ignoring Murdoc’s tutts of disapproval behind them.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she sobbed.

“Keep going, Miss Davis,” Murdoc trilled.

“I wouldn’t want you to have to be on the receiving end of the taser as well.”

“How many times?” Mac asked, his voice barely above a whisper so Murdoc wouldn’t hear.

“Three more,” Riley said, her brows knit with worry.

“Do it fast,” Mac said, closing his eyes again. “Just get it over with.”

Just as he asked, Riley’s next three shocks were delivered one after the other, leading to a particularly awful 15 seconds that seemed to last more like 15 minutes. His knees buckled and Mac groaned as he felt the jerk in his shoulders as they were forced to bear his entire weight. When Riley tried to hold him up, Murdoc quickly pulled her away, slapping both her and Mac.

“One more task, then you are free to go, Miss Davis,” Murdoc said, looking far more excited than he should have. He whispered something in her ear for a second time and her eyes widened as she stumbled back from him.

“Murdoc--”

“Just do it,” he said, his voice suddenly sharp. “I’m sick of all this whining.”

Riley looked wary as she approached Mac again. He couldn’t help but glance down at her hands to see what she was bringing over. But they were empty. Mac couldn’t think of anything Murdoc could make Riley do that would have made her react the way she did, and be looking at him with an almost unreadable expression on her face. It seemed like pity, almost, mixed with a little bit of embarrassment.

But it all became clear when Riley stood in front of him. She didn’t do anything at first, just avoided making eye contact with Mac. Then she reached for his belt. He couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped his mouth, and the involuntary step backward as her fingers touched his jeans.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Mac stammered.

“It’s a surprise, my dear Angus,” Murdoc injected before Riley could answer him.

Riley pulled his belt off in one swift movement, tossing it to the floor. Mac’s hopes of a whipping evaporated as he heard the clatter. That only left something sexual. He shouldn’t be surprised. Murdoc clearly took joy in both hurting and humiliating him.

He heard the restraints rattling above him as his hands began to shake as Riley unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. His face burned as she pulled down his jeans and boxers, just enough to pull his cock out. He whimpered as Riley took him in her hands and he forced himself to stare at a crack in the ceiling.

Anywhere but at Riley or Murdoc.

“Ooh beautiful,” Murdoc said, sounding far too close for Mac’s liking.

He shuddered.

Riley tightened her fingers around Mac’s cock and began stroking him. His hips twitched into her touch and he gasped at the feeling. Mac’s face flushed as he hardened in Riley’s hand and he squeezed his eyes shut, his mind jumping between how good Riley’s hands felt and how wrong it was that someone he considered a sister was jerking him off.

His instinct was to tell Riley to stop or to push her away. But he couldn’t do that. All he had to do was cum, then Murdoc would let Riley go. So he tried to block out the room in front of him, thinking instead of Ella, the beautiful brunette he had gone on several dates with that year. But every time he pictured Ella’s face, his mind would flash back to his current situation and panic would flood his mind.

“Oh, fuck,” he breathed, his breathing picking up as Riley picked up the pace.

“Oh God, I’m so-I’m gonna-”

“Come for me, baby,” Murdoc said, and Mac’s pending orgasm instantly faded away at the sound of his voice.

“Ignore him, Mac,” Riley said.

Mac whimpered. “I-Riley, I don’t know --”

He cut himself off, gasping as Riley’s thumb flicked across his head. It seemed to take forever before Mac’s body went taut and his release rushed through him. He cried out as he came in Riley’s hand, hips thrusting forward erratically.

He let out a sob as soon as he finished, his body going limp in the chains. He couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks, and he flinched away when he felt Riley’s gentle touch on his cheek. When he looked up, she was crying too. She reached out to pull him into a hug, but Murdoc jerked her away before she could wrap her arms around him.

“Just one more thing and you will be free to go, Miss Davis,” Murdoc said.

“One more? But -- you said only two tasks. What-what else do I have to do?”

“Not you this time, darling. Him.” Murdoc turned to Mac, his smile growing. “Young Angus here has so generously agreed to let me fuck him in exchange for your release.”

Riley gasped. “No. No, Murdoc, I’ll take his place, you can do anything you want to me.”

“But see, Riley, I don’t want you. I want him. So you’re going to go sit by Jack, put the handcuffs on and sit still like the good little girl I know you are. If you don’t, I’ll have to punish Angus for it.”

Tears still streamed down Mac’s cheeks; he couldn’t seem to get it to stop. Knowing what was in store for him next didn’t help. He glanced over at Jack and Riley, but immediately wished he hadn’t. Riley’s eyes were filled with terror and pity, and Jack looked livid.

Jack’s expression softened as soon as he saw Mac looking at him. Mac felt Murdoc fumbling with the cuffs on his wrist. Once he unlocked them, Mac could barely keep himself upright.

He stumbled backwards, then fell to the ground, painfully catching himself with already-sore wrists. As Murdoc approached, Mac scuttled backwards, desperate to get away from his captor. He knew he had to do this to get Riley out. But it didn’t make it any easier.

“Don’t. Run. Away. From. Me,” Murdoc growled, stomping on Mac’s left ankle with each word. Mac cried out in pain as he heard and felt the bones in his ankle snap. The white-hot pain flashed through his body and his vision blacked out for a few seconds.

“Mac!” Riley cried, struggling to push herself up with her hands behind her back. Mac groaned.

“Stay there, Ri, I’m OK. I’m OK.”

He wasn’t sure if he was reassuring Riley or himself. His ankle seemed to throb in time with his heart beat and it was hard to focus on anything else. Murdoc stood above Mac, sneering down at him. Mac looked up, warily, to meet his eyes. Not breaking eye contact, Murdoc lowered himself down until he was straddling Mac’s hips.

“Are you going to be good, or are you going to fight me the whole time? One of those will make things a lot more unpleasant.”

Mac didn’t answer immediately. Murdoc was too close, looking him in the eye sent terror racing through his body. His eyes darted around the room, landing on Riley, on Jack, on the door.

“Answer me,” Murdoc demanded, grabbing Mac by the hair and slamming his head to the floor. Mac yelped, tears filling his eyes.

“No, no, no,” he whimpered, his head spinning. “Jack? Where’s Jack?”

“Jack isn’t going to save you,” Murdoc whispered in Mac’s ear.

Mac felt like Murdoc was moving in slow motion — or maybe it was just his brain slowing everything down. It took far more effort than it should have to keep his eyes open. He struggled briefly as Murdoc pulled down his pants and underwear, but even that took too much effort. He just didn’t have the strength to resist.

“There’s a good boy,” Murdoc cooed as he rocked into Mac. He wanted nothing more than to get up and run, to struggle away from Murdoc, but his body wasn’t cooperating.

Eyes half-lidded, Mac just laid and took it.

Mac must have lost consciousness at some point, because when he opened his eyes again, he was lying against someone.

“No, no,” he whimpered, struggling briefly to sit up.

But strong hands held him back and panic filled his mind.

“No, Jack, Jack where are you?”

It took several moments before the voice next to him became clear.

“Easy, easy.” Jack’s shushing, voice barely a murmur, was the first thing he clearly heard once the worst of the dizziness and panic abated.

He realized he was lying with his head on Jack’s chest, tucked under his chin. One arm was loosely wrapped around Mac’s stomach. With the other, he was carding his fingers through Mac’s hair.

“It’s me, kiddo, I’m right here. I’ve got you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but more to come soon

Listening to Mac sob his name repeatedly as Murdoc violated him might have been the worst thing Jack had ever experienced. It seemed to last forever. By the end, Mac wasn’t protesting or fighting back. Jack wasn’t even sure if he was conscious.

“Thanks for the fun,” Murdoc murmured into Mac’s ear after he had zipped his pants up. Jack wasn’t sure if he was intentionally speaking loud enough for them to hear him, or if he didn’t know how loud he was speaking. “I look forward to next time.”

Murdoc straightened his own clothes, but left Mac half-naked on the cold cement floor, clad only in his boxers. He hadn’t moved since Murdoc let go of him, and Jack couldn’t see his face to check if he was conscious. His blood boiled as Murdoc made his way toward Jack and Riley. It was clear Murdoc could see the anger on his face as he approached. He clicked his tongue.

“Now, Jack. I was going to unlock your cuffs and let you care for Angus, but I’m not going to do that if you’ll just attack me as soon as I let you go.”

As soon as Murdoc pulled the gag out of Jack’s mouth, he started begging. He didn’t care about his dignity, Mac needed him.

“Murdoc, please, I won’t try anything. I won’t even move until you’re out of the room.”

“Ooh I like the sound of Jack Dalton begging,” Murdoc said, reaching behind Jack to unlock the cuffs.

True to his word, Jack didn’t move until Murdoc had left the room, dragging Riley behind him. But as soon as the door clicked shut, he launched up and raced over to Mac.

“Mac, kid, talk to me. Talk to me, are you awake?” All he got in response was a small groan as Mac shifted slightly. Jack pulled Mac into his arms, resting the younger boy against his chest. Mac started trembling in Jack’s grip and weakly struggled against him. He made a tiny, wounded noise that made Jack tear up.

“No, no,” Mac whimpered.

“Easy, easy,” Jack murmured, starting to gently card his fingers through Mac’s hair. “It’s me, kiddo, I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

“Jack?” Mac asked, his eyes slowly fluttering open.

“Are-are you real?” Before answering, Jack kissed the top of Mac’s head.

“Of course I am.”

Mac still seemed stunned, hesitant. Jack moved to pull him closer, but the younger boy let out a gasp of pain.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jack cringed. Mac slumped back into Jack’s arms, cuddling in the best he could.

“Tired,” he murmured, eyes slipping shut. “Gon’ sleep.”

Once Mac’s breathing evened out and Jack could tell the younger boy was fully asleep, he started cataloguing Mac’s injuries. It wasn’t pretty. His ankle was swollen and covered in one, large deep red bruise. Jack guessed it was broken. He’d heard the snap when Murdoc stepped on it. Mac’s legs -- bare, still, as Murdoc had taken his pants with him -- seemed uninjured. It was only when he got to his upper thighs and hips that Jack saw the fingerprint-shaped bruises littered across Mac’s pale skin.

Jack gently pulled up the hem of his shirt to see how far up the bruises went. He was horrified to see his stomach and chest were littered with bruises, all appearing to be in different stages of healing.

He gently ran his hand over Mac’s chest, feeling for any irregularities that might hint at a fractured rib. He scowled at the several bites and bruises on Mac’s neck before brushing his fingers through Mac’s hair.

Then he turned his eyes to the injury he had been dreading seeing. Jack had been avoiding looking at Mac’s arm. The skin around the crudely sketched letters was red and swollen, and Jack knew it was likely to get infected if Mac didn’t get medical attention soon. Mac whimpered in his sleep as Jack traced a gentle finger over the letters. Pain was still etched into his face, even in his sleep.

It hurt Jack to see his partner struggling like this. Pressing a gentle kiss to Mac’s forehead, Jack settled back against the wall to wait. He hoped Riley and Matty could work their magic and rescue them quickly.

If not, things did not look good for Mac.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been hours since Murdoc left Mac and Jack alone. They had no way of knowing if he’d kept his word and released Riley, or when he would come back. Mac woke up to find he only felt marginally better after what Jack told him was at least six hours of sleep.

Jack didn’t look much better; Mac doubted if Jack had slept at all during the time he was out.

His sleep had been restless and fitful, and Mac could tell he was starting to run a fever. He alternated shivering in Jack’s arms and dripping sweat.

Jack wouldn’t confirm the fever, but Mac could tell something was wrong from the worried expression on his face every time he made an excuse to let his palm linger on Mac’s forehead. His mind was clearer with Jack around.

That was the only explanation for why his concussion seemed to be getting better, or at least the symptoms less noticeable. He hadn’t left Jack’s side since he’d woken up. He knew it was irrational to think touching Jack somehow made his injuries less severe, but Mac didn’t care. He’d believe anything if it would get him through this hell.

“Feeling any better?” Jack asked when he noticed Mac was awake again.

Mac nodded, but groaned when the movement sent pain shooting through his head.

“I’ll take that as a no, then,” Jack sighed.

“It’s just my head,” Mac mumbled. “Everything else is fine. It doesn’t hurt that bad. Well...my ankle too, but that’s only if I move it or try to put any weight on it.”

“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

Mac shook his head.

The thought of eating or drinking made his stomach roll unpleasantly.

“Can you help me up? I want to see the door. I haven’t had a chance to look around the room.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, kid,” Jack said, shaking his head. “How about if I go over to the door and tell you about it?”

“That won’t work,” Mac said. “I need to see it and fiddle with it.”

Jack hesitated, then sighed. “OK, but I’m carrying you over.”

Mac thought about protesting, but decided against it. Jack could change his mind, and Mac wasn’t going to be able to move anywhere by himself. Jack slipped out from behind Mac, then squatted down and slid his arms under his knees and back. He hissed in pain as the movement jostled his injuries.

“Still want to do this?” Jack asked, eyes filled with worry.

“Yeah. We can’t rely on Murdoc following through with his promise. We need to find a way out.”

As Jack walked over to the door, Mac’s eyes darted around the room, taking a mental inventory of what was there. It wasn’t much; Murdoc had taken most of it with him. The chair Mac had been restrained in, the connected cuffs, duct tape remnants, cuffs hanging from the ceiling, an empty table where Murdoc had displayed his tools and what looked like a used condom lying on the ground.

Mac shut his eyes at the nausea that swept through his body as he saw the last item. It took far too long for the room to stop spinning before he could open his eyes again. Jack was watching him, face filled with worry.

“I’m OK,” Mac lied.

“Just got a little dizzy.” Jack snorted, but nevertheless, gently lowered him to his feet — well, foot. Mac clutched Jack’s shoulder with one hand as he inspected the door and the lock with the other.

“Can you—“ Mac started, but Jack interrupted.

“Absolutely not.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“Let me guess, you wanted me to go grab something and leave you standing here with only one functioning ankle?”

Mac flushed. Jack knew him far too well for that to have worked.

“I’ll sit down, then. I can’t go anywhere and probably can’t get up by myself.”

Jack sighed.

“What do you need?”

“The cuffs from the chair and ceiling. And see if there are any removable, small metal parts from either the chair or the table.” Mac slid down the wall until he was seated. He could still almost reach the handle from the floor, if he could just—

“Mac!” Mac jumped and dropped his hand guiltily.

“Sorry, sorry. I’ll just sit.”

Before Jack could respond, Mac heard the lock on the door jingling and his eyes widened. He turned to alert Jack, but the older man apparently had heard too and already had started back toward Mac.

“Look at you, up and about, Angus,” Murdoc said, smiling.

But he didn’t look surprised to see Mac sitting by the door. He must have been watching them. “And Dalton, if you try anything with me — don’t deny it, I see it in your face — it’ll be Angus here who gets punished, not you.” 

Mac’s head snapped up at the sound of Bozer’s voice. He looked relatively unharmed: a few bruises on his face, several cuts on his hands and arms. He wasn’t handcuffed, and Mac guessed he was terrified enough that Murdoc hadn’t felt the need to restrain him.

Murdoc shoved Bozer the rest of the way into the room, hard enough he stumbled and nearly fell. Jack lunged toward him to steady him, but it was Murdoc who caught his shirt and pulled him back.

“Wait here, I need to grab a few things,” Murdoc said. As soon as the door slipped shut behind him, Jack was at Mac’s side. He scooped him into his arms and hustled across the room, back to the corner furthest from the door.

Murdoc was back within a minute, dragging a hose and what looked to be a huge, empty ice bucket behind him. He had something else in his hand as well, but he tossed it to the corner of the room too quickly for Mac to tell what it was. His eyes flashed with fury when he saw Jack gently lowering Mac to the ground on the other side of the room. Mac whined at the loss of contact when Jack pulled his arms away.

“Dalton, let’s go,” Murdoc ordered, gesturing toward the door.

“No, no I’m not leaving him,” Jack said, desperately shielding Mac from Murdoc’s view. Mac could feel his breath picking up again as the panic set in. He had just gotten Jack back; he couldn’t do this without him.

Jack threw a punch at Murdoc as he approached, which Murdoc easily dodged. Jack was too hungry, dehydrated and exhausted to be a match for Murdoc, and anyone for that matter. As Jack caught his breath after Murdoc slammed him into the wall, Murdoc knelt and grabbed Mac’s hair, jerking him back hard. Mac yelped. Jack froze.

“I could bash his head into the wall very easily, Dalton. But I’m sure you’d rather I avoid that.”

“No, please, Murdoc. Don’t hurt him. I’ll go, I’ll go with you. Just let go of him.”

Mac wanted to beg Murdoc to let Jack stay, but he knew that would only lead to more pain for the two of them. Jack let Murdoc lead him out of the room, and with one last worried glance back at Mac, he was gone.

“Mac, Mac are you OK?” Mac had nearly forgotten Bozer was there. He nodded, and his best friend tilted his chin up so he could see the extent of the injuries on Mac’s face. Bozer sucked in a breath.

“That looks painful, man. Can I do anything?” Mac shook his head. He knew Murdoc would be angry if Bozer helped him.

“Why aren’t you talking? I haven’t heard you say a word since Murdoc dragged me in here.”

“I’m OK, my throat is just sore,” Mac said, his voice quieter than usual. “Bozer, he’s going to make you hurt me. Just do what he says. I’ll be fine. I can take it.”

Bozer opened his mouth to say something, but heard Murdoc’s keys in the door and changed his mind. He shot a worried glance at Mac before getting to his feet and stepping in front of him.

“I take it blondie has told you the rules of the game?” Murdoc asked.

“Some of them,” Bozer said stiffly. “What are you going to make me do, you twisted fuck?”

“Name calling isn’t nice, Wilt. Didn’t your mother teach you that?” Murdoc said, ignoring Bozer’s question.

He grabbed the hose and bucket and dragged them over to the center of the room. Mac swallowed hard. He had a feeling Murdoc planned to make Bozer hold him underwater, to nearly drown him several times. Sure enough, Murdoc voiced almost that exact thought moments later.

“You will hold him under until I say you can stop,” he said, his voice sharp. “If you let him up early, I’ll make you redo it. Five times total. Or more, if I feel like it.”

He turned to Mac. “Get over here, Angus.”

Mac struggled to pull himself to his feet, using Bozer’s arm and the wall for support. When he wrapped an arm around Bozer’s shoulders and leaned heavily on him, Murdoc shook his head.

“On your own, Angus.”

“But--I--”

“I didn’t say walk. I don’t care how you get over here, but you will do it without help.”

Mac looked helplessly over at Bozer before lowering himself back down to the ground. He would lose his balance and fall if he tried to hop several yards over to Murdoc. That would only aggravate his injuries, something he couldn’t afford to do at this point.

So face burning, Mac got onto his hands and knees and crawled over to Murdoc. He couldn’t think of any other way to do it. His shoulders were too sore to pull himself forward on his butt, and walking was out of the question. His face was beet red by the time he reached Murdoc.

“Good, puppy,” Murdoc cooed, and Mac let out a shuddering breath, willing himself not to cry. He was so close to his breaking point already, and Murdoc was nowhere near finished. The tub was filling up quickly. Murdoc beckoned Bozer and Mac over to it, and they reluctantly complied.

“Whenever you’re ready, Bozer,” Murdoc said, settling into a chair he’d pulled up next to the bucket. “Don’t forget, let him up early and you’ll have to do it again. For even longer.”

He heard Bozer let out a small sob. “I’m so sorry, Mac,” he said softly.

Mac didn’t resist as Bozer gently took hold of his hair and pushed his head into the tub of water. It was easy to hold his breath at first. He’d been expecting it, so he had been able to fill his lungs beforehand. But as the seconds ticked by and his vision started to darken at the edges, Mac couldn’t help but panic.

After a minute he started struggling against Bozer’s hold, desperate for air. But his hand held him down tightly and no matter how much he thrashed, he couldn’t get loose. Finally Bozer pulled him back up and Mac sucked air in as fast as he could, knowing it wouldn’t be long before Murdoc ordered Bozer to push him back down.

“Again,” Murdoc said coldly, and Mac barely had time to take a deep breath before he was forced underwater. This time the panic came much quicker. Even though he tried to stay still, to make it easier for Bozer, he still unconsciously fought against his hold as his vision darkened and his lungs began to ache. He inhaled water as Bozer pulled him up for the second time, coughing and spluttering in the brief reprieve.

But only moments later, he was forced back into the water again, without the chance to breathe deeply. It only took seconds before Mac inhaled water this time. He was terrified and he was under the water for less than 30 seconds before he blacked out. When he came to, Mac immediately started coughing and gasping and spewing water everywhere. Bozer helped him sit up, but even with his assistance, it took all the energy Mac had to stay alert.

“Two more, Bozer. Chop chop, get on it.”

Mac let out a small sob and tried to push away from Bozer. He couldn’t go through that again. He didn’t know how much more he could take.

Physically, he could handle it. But mentally...Murdoc sexually assaulting him had been the last straw, and Mac felt close to his breaking point.

“I won’t do it,” Bozer said, holding onto Mac protectively. “I won’t.”

“You will. Or I will, and I can promise you, Angus will be in much worse shape after I’m done with him,” Murdoc growled.

He kicked both Bozer and Mac in the back. Bozer yelped. Mac collapsed. Arms shaking with the effort, he tried to push himself back to a seated position, but he couldn’t do it. He sobbed and buried his head in his arms. He was so tired. And so cold.

But when Bozer glanced at him questioningly, Mac nodded.

“Do it,” he said, the two words forcing a coughing fit. He echoed what he had told Riley.

“Just get it over with.”


	8. Chapter 8

Mac sagged back into Bozer after throwing up for what felt like the hundredth time in several hours. Across the room, Murdoc let out a long sigh. Mac barely had the energy to look over at him, but he could tell the other man was irritated.

“We-we can-“ he started to say, but broke off into a coughing fit that wracked his body.

After a minute of continuous coughing, Mac gagged, dropping to his hands and knees. His breaths sounded wheezy, and he knew that was a sign of fluid in his lungs.

“We — we can start whatever...whatever is next,” Mac wheezed, the words taking far more effort than he’d anticipated.

“Oh Angus, you sound absolutely dreadful,” Murdoc said. “If I was a nicer person, I would give you more of a break. But I’d expect you want to get Bozer out of here as soon as possible.”

Mac nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He knew it would set off another coughing fit.

“Very well then. Be a dear and come over to me.” With how terrible Mac felt, Murdoc may as well have been miles away, not just across the room. His limbs were heavy and he stumbled as he stood up.

“Mac, no!” Boxer exclaimed.

Mac had forgotten his broken ankle and as soon as he took a step, he collapsed. His vision blacked out for a moment from the pain and he stayed still, not trusting himself to move.

“Oh my,” Murdoc said. “This is just pathetic, Angus. It’s not even fun anymore.”

“Should’ve...thought of that…before…,” Mac panted. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but it sounded like Murdoc was bored of torturing him when he was in this bad of shape. Murdoc hummed, not responding.

Mac could feel his eyes boring into his head. He imagined the hunger in Murdoc’s eyes as he contemplated what to do with Mac.

“Just kill me,” Mac said. “Let...let Bozer, Jack and Cage go...I’ll stay here. Do whatever you want.”

He struggled to roll himself over so he could see Murdoc’s face. But his expression was unreadable as he stood several yards away from Mac, silently staring at him. Mac’s heart was hammering in his chest. He wasn’t sure if it was from anxiety or the effort it had taken to roll over, but it was all he could focus on as Murdoc stood still in front of him.

Then Murdoc disappeared. Mac blinked several times. Had he fallen asleep?

He was far enough out of it, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But he felt hands on his skin and as Mac turned to watch Murdoc move in what looked like slow motion, he knew he hadn’t fallen asleep. His blinks were slow enough he missed seconds every time he let his eyes slide shut. He felt the sharp point of a knife press against his neck.

Murdoc pushed down slightly, drawing a bead of blood from Mac’s neck. So this was it. This was how he would die: exhausted and beaten down, unable to fight back in any way. Murdoc cupped Mac’s cheek, then ran a hand down his chest. Mac didn’t even have the energy to flinch. He let out a small whine and let his eyes slip shut.

Then he heard a gunshot.

His body seized up with the expectation of white hot pain, but none came.

Instead, the pressure of the knife disappeared and he heard the pounding feet and shouts of what sounded like a tac team. When he cracked his eyes open, he saw the room was filled with a fully geared up tactical team.

A man he didn’t recognize knelt down next to him. Mac eyed him warily. He didn’t see Murdoc.

What if this was another one of the man’s mind games? Mac wouldn’t put it past him. It sounded just like Murdoc to want to lull him into a false sense of security, then attack. When the man in the tactical gear reached out and set a hand on Mac’s shoulder, Mac sobbed and scrambled up, a fresh wave of energy rushing through him.

He scooted backwards, away from the hands and the prying eyes. He could see a woman beckoning to someone outside the room.

“No, just kill me, please. I can’t--I can’t do this. I can’t take any more, Murdoc,” Mac sobbed, using his one good leg to push himself back.

The rush of words sent him into a coughing fit. He still didn’t see Murdoc, but the room was becoming fuzzy and the edges of his vision darkened. Had Murdoc drugged him? As panic set in, the voices in the room faded to a loud, overwhelming buzz. He tucked his knees up to his chest and pressed his face into his legs.

His breaths came in shuddering gasps and Mac couldn’t take a deep breath. Then a light touch came on his arm and a familiar voice drifted through the buzz.

“You with me, hoss? I’m here, I’ve got you. You’re safe now, Mac. We can go home.” Jack. Mac lifted his head up to see Jack’s worried eyes just inches away from his own. He launched himself into Jack’s arms, sobbing freely.

“Shh, shh shh,” Jack soothed, rubbing Mac’s back gently with one hand. He cupped the back of Mac’s head with a large hand, holding him tight to his chest.

“Murdoc?” Mac asked finally, his voice rough from sobbing and disuse. “Is-is he-?” Mac broke off, coughing and gagging, before he could finish his sentence.

“He’s dead. Ken shot him. It’s all over.”

Mac sagged in Jack’s arms, relief rushing through his body.

“Need to sleep,” he whispered.

With Murdoc dead, Mac could finally relax. The danger was gone.

“No, kiddo, you gotta stay awake for me,” Jack said, shaking Mac’s shoulder gently. “You have a concussion, a fever and who knows what else. Let’s get you to a hospital and you can sleep then.”

“No hospitals,” Mac murmured.

All he wanted was to go home and sleep in his own bed. He heard Jack chuckle above him and he cracked his eyes open to glance at him.

“I want to go home,” Mac said. “Not a hospital.”

“Not a chance, kiddo,” Jack said. “All right, looks like medics are here. Let’s get you up and on a gurney.”

Mac let Jack pick him up and gently deposit him on the gurney. He kept a tight grip on Jack’s hand as he was wheeled into the ambulance. Mac whimpered slightly at the sharp prick of the IV, but the pain slowly began to dissipate as the drugs flowed into his system.

His breathing evened out after an oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and Mac closed his eyes. It felt so good to lay down on something that wasn’t a cement floor. The last thing he heard before he passed out was Jack’s gentle voice, and the squeeze of his hand.

* * * * * *

Mac heard the voices first. Riley’s murmur, Jack’s loud whisper and Matty’s soft voice. His eyes fluttered and the voices stilled at once.

“I think he’s waking up,” he heard Bozer whisper.

“Jack,” Mac groaned, cracking his eyes open and immediately shutting them again when the bright light invaded.

“I’ll get the lights,” Matty said. He felt a hand squeeze his.

“I’m right here, kiddo.” Jack.

When Mac opened his eyes again, the room was dark and shadowed. Riley, Bozer, Cage, Matty and Jack were huddled around the bed. They all looked exhausted, but they smiled once they saw Mac was awake.

“It’s good to see you awake, blondie,” Matty said, grabbing Mac’s other hand and squeezing. Mac smiled weakly.

“I’ll go get the nurse,” Cage said, and Mac heard the door open and shut.

“How long have I been out?” Mac asked. His head was pounding and he could barely keep his eyes open.

“Why am I so tired?”

“You’re on some pretty heavy painkillers,” Jack said. “You have a few fractured ribs, a broken ankle, a healing infection on your arm and pneumonia. You’ve been asleep for about 24 hours.”

“Murdoc?” Mac asked, breaking out into a coughing fit before the name was fully out of his mouth. Jack waited until he was done before he spoke.

“He’s dead. The tac team shot him before he could kill you.”

“Good. Are-are you OK?”

“I’m OK, kid. I’m more worried about you.”

“And everyone else?”

“We’re all OK, Mac,” Riley said, putting her hand on Mac’s arm and rubbing it with her thumb. “All thanks to you. Murdoc dropped me at a hospital in north L.A., but I was able to get ahold of Matty and the other techs and we traced the signal Murdoc was using to broadcast video into the other rooms. We never would have found you if you hadn’t gotten me out.”

Memories of what he’d had to do to free Riley suddenly flooded back into Mac’s mind and he shivered. It was almost like he could feel Murdoc’s hands on his body and he squirmed under the blankets and pulled his hands away from Jack, Riley and Matty, desperate to have nothing touching him. The heart monitor above him started beeping rapidly.

“Easy, easy, hoss, deep breaths,” Jack soothed. “You’re safe here.”

The nurse rushed in, summoned by the irregular beeping of the monitor.

“Can you give him something to calm him down?” Riley asked anxiously.

“No, no more drugs,” Mac begged. “I don’t want to be out. I-no!”

“It’ll help you relax, Mac,” Jack said, nodding to the nurse behind Mac.

“No! Jack, no! I don’t want it, I don’t want it, I want to go home.”

The effect of the drugs was almost immediate, and Mac sagged back into the pillows. His eyelids grew heavy, even as he fought to keep them open.

“Get some sleep, hoss. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

Once Mac was asleep, Jack buried his head in his hands and sighed.

Recovery was not going to be easy for Mac, mentally or physically. But at least he’d have his family behind him for all of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! All the comments and kudos mean a lot.


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